


The Enemy of My Enemy

by Browa123



Series: Tumblr Promptz [7]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, Not Phantom Planet Compliant, One Shot, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-10 15:05:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19507330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browa123/pseuds/Browa123
Summary: Maddie has had enough of Vlad Masters and his constant creepy stalking. She wants someone to talk to about it, but she can't find the right vent.Jack adores the man, Danny barely talks to her anymore and Jazz would take an approach to psycoanalitic for Maddie to find any worth in the conversation.But, when taking some particularly anger fueled shots at Phantom, she finds someone who can relate to her troubles for once.





	The Enemy of My Enemy

Maddie takes aim at the shadowy blur once again, charging the ecto blaster to full and firing of a round of pot shots with no real aim. Its only the heavy vibrations of the kickback and the bright, intense beams of energy Maddie cares for.

Even though Phantom easily evades the blasts, the feeling of the weapons capacity to destroy things soothes Maddie's temper just a bit. Its not Phantom she's mad at today, but the ghost provides to be something to release her frustration on.

Maddie growls despite herself, warming up the weapon for another round of blasts. She holds the ecto blaster with a white knuckled grip, feeling like if she held any tighter, the metal would bend and break.

"Ok, that's enough."

A white glove tips the barrel of the gun toward the ground. Maddie looks ahead to see Phantom pointing her weapon into the dirt, a stern and serious look on his young face.

Maddie had only been this close to Phantom on very rare occasions. The specter was known to be elusive, avoiding humans at every chance and vanishing from sight and scanners at the snap of a finger. So why is the ghost this close?

Maddie still has a job to do, attempting to lift the weapon to target the surprisingly young looking specter before her. The gun still remains leveled to the ground before it grows ice cold in her hands. A quick glance down confirms that Phantom froze the weapon solid.

"What do you think you're doing, you ectoplasmic scum?" Maddie hisses. Though the threat stutters. She can't tell if it's from the deep rage within her for someone else, or the human like appearance Phantom has. Curse her maternal instincts, Phantom is no child.

"See, I know something's wrong. You usually have much better aim, but tonight you're just firing at me for the sake of shooting something. What's up?" Phantom asks, sincerity in his voice. He even sounds like a child. And, he sounds so honest despite what should be his nature.

But Maddie isn't in the mood to be an ectobiologist tonight. She thought that hunting would take her mind off what's been wrong for years now, but she continues to be reminded. Reminded about how she only has willpower to fall back on.

"It's a personal issue. Certainly something I would not like to tell a ghost," Maddie bites at Phantom, still seeing how young he is. How humanlike despite the glow and the floating.

"Personal, huh?" Phantom floats back a bit. "Well, whatever the issue is, it's clearly eating you up inside. You should at least talk to someone about it, then again I'm no psychologist." The ghost shrugs, pulling its arms behind its head.

"Like I need advice from a ghost. If I did have someone to talk to, I wouldn't feel as stressed, obviously," Maddie spits at the specter. How dare it float so nonchalantly in her presence? Frozen weapon be damned.

"No one to talk to either? Sounds rough. Not even a colleague or family member?" Phantom presses, the curious and worried look on his face being far too convincing. Maddie doesn't need the pity of a ghost, it's worthless.

"Spare me your sympathy, Phantom. It's not something I need to burden on those close to me," huffs the huntress. With thier opinions on the matter, it would be counterproductive to go to them about this issue.

The issue with one Vlad Masters.

Ever since the reunion, the man had been stalking her. Making a show of stalking her, even. Asking her to leave Jack and join him. His constant, lustful staring. He's always there, the malicious presence growing more common since he became the mayor of the town.

But there's no one to turn to. Jack adores Vlad, believing his relationship with his old college pal to be ironclad and unbreakable. It would destroy the man if Maddie brought his suspicions to her, lest Jack go into another ramble about how much he likes the billionaire.

Jazz is obsessed with her psychology research to the point it comes up in almost any conversation. Maddie doesn't need a therapist. If she brought the issue to her daughter, Jazz would end up doing most of the talking about how the issue affects her mentally. Not a solution.

And Danny.... 

It's been years since she and Danny sat down and talked. He still lives with them, despite his poor high school record. But even when he works with her, there's this cold, distant blockade between him and the rest of the world. It makes it hard for even her to approach him nowadays, and bringing her issues to him might harm what fragile relationship they have left.

Maddie feels her irritation growing. Not another soul in the world to talk to, and this specter is pressing her for personal information after disarming her. She only brought one weapon in her frustration due to a lack of hindsight.

Honestly she's ready to go home and stew in her worries a while longer. Although unwise to turn one's back on such a powerful ecto entity, Maddie is to sick and tired of most things to care.

But, with the irksome thought Vlad might do something in the near future, she needs to talk to someone. Warn someone that can actually help her. Release the gut feeling that has had her questioning things about her old friend day in and day out.

She stares at Phantom again. The ghost looks back, as if staring into her soul to find what's bothering her. It's been only a few moments holding a conversation with the elusive ghost, but it's proving difficult to pull any wool over his eyes.

But, maybe... just maybe, taking Phantom's offer to confide is just the release Maddie has been searching for.

"How can I trust you to not keep your mouth shut if I tell you what's bothering me?" Maddie puts the frozen gun back on her belt, folding her arms and hardening her resolve.

"We ghosts are good at keeping secrets, you know. If you want to talk, I won't say a word." Phantom affirms this with the gesture of moving a gloved hands across his lips, sealing them.

"You swear on your afterlife, you won't tell any other soul?" Maddie presses, glaring at the ghost.

"Cross my h-" Phantom pauses a minute. "Cross my core and hope to cease existing," the ghost amends, crossing an area of his chest.

"You know your core isn't where your heart used to be. It's in the center of your form," Maddie gives the ghost the stink eye.

Though Phantom looks a bit confused, putting his hand on where his heart would be if he was human. "You sure? I'm pretty sure my core is there..."

"I don't have time to give you a lesson on your own biology," huffs Maddie in turn.

"Right. Let's put a pin in the core argument." Phantom floats beside Maddie and sits on the grass, patting the ground beside him as an invitation to sit down.

Maddie reluctantly follows through on the request, keeping a close eye out if Phantom decides to turn hostile. A moment of vulnerability is all a ghost needs. But nothing hostile appears in Phantom's figure as he sits and relaxes.

The ghost looks at her and smiles, signalling her to start. Should she just jump in head first? It may overwhelm the boy. ...ghost. Curse Phantom's humanoid appearance being so detailed. Still, it would be better to ease Phantom in with the full story.

"You know the current mayor of Amity Park, right?" Maddie asks, watching the ghosts reaction. Would Phantom be as respectful of Vlad as anyone else in Amity? There's no way to know with such a tricky ghost that is barely seen.

Phantom grimaces. "How could I not?"

His voice is filled with the same frustration Maddie has been dealing with. Phantom appears to slouch, pouting and blowing the white strands of hair out of his eyes. Displeasure surely noted.

"Don't like him?" Maddie inquires.

"Not in the slightest," Phantom replies.

"Me either," Maddie admits, sighing. Despite the company, she's relieved someone out there has some sense. The ghost boy beside her relaxes the slightest bit. He must share the sentiment.

"I know I got in hot water with the misunderstanding about previous mayor, but I dislike this loopy billionaire to the point I would drag him out by his prissy tailcoated suit all over again to kick him out of office. I hate him that much," Phantom seethes.

"I certainly wouldn't be pointing my weapon at your face if you were dragging Vlad into a mob of ghosts," Maddie chuckles. She imagines the teen ghost grabbing Vlad and tossing the man over his head into a ghost portal. It's a humorous daydream.

Phantom seems to find the idea funny as well, chuckling himself. 

"I'm still paranoid about my reputation though. Bastard has connections, and the moment I drag him out on his rear he'll use those connections to tarnish my name all over again..." he sighs.

Maddie bites back a comment about him being a ghost and how he shouldn't have a good reputation in the first place. Phantom is listening to her, agreeing with her about Vlad. Beggars can't be choosers with an oppertunity like this.

"The man does have a way with tearing you down on word alone. He wasn't like this in college, when I thought I knew him. But... after his accident, he changed. Something in him broke in an irreversible way and I feel I'm the only one who can see it..." Maddie huffs, staring at her hands.

Right. The accident in college. The near death experience and resulting trauma must have devastated what she knew of an old friend, leaving only his creepy shell to haunt her family as if he had died.

"Sometimes I can't help but blame myself for what happened to him. I... I should have told him to move out of the way, the moment I saw that error. I should have warned him. Maybe then he wouldn't have become what he is now." Tears gather behind her eyes. But she refuses to let them fall.

"You shouldn't have to," Phantom sighs. "I know it's hard, I blame myself for a lot if things I can't let go of, but you shouldn't blame yourself."

"Then who should I blame? I don't want to pin any faults I feel are my own on someone else." Maddie turns back to the ghost, who has a somber look in his eyes. There he goes with the mimicry of empathy again. Though... it's almost too convincing.

"Tell me about it," Phantom mutters, putting his head in one hand. "No matter what you do, or how hard you try, there's just no making it up to everyone, is there?"

"You grasp the concept surprisingly well," Maddie comments.

"Because I've experienced it. I may be a ghost, but I still have a mind of my own, even if it's not where my head is," the specter huffs humourlessly.

"So, how do you deal with this? Dealing with something you do and don't belive is your fault?" Maddie throws the question out there, letting it hang in the air.

"If I've learned anything since... I came to the real world, it's that things change." Phantom lets out a sigh, sitting back on his hands and stretching his legs. "You may not want it, you may not like it, but things do happen. It's what you do in light of the change that makes you a good or bad person."

"Quite the philosophical outlook," Maddie hums. "You're quite mature for your appearance."

"Because things changed. I had to learn a lot, quickly, before I got left behind in my own naive immaturity. Even now I'm still learning to be better than I am for the sake of those around me, but it's a lot all at once..."

"How bold of you. In the face of change you still strive to be better. That's quite facinating." Maddie wishes she brought a notepad with her, but sadly she came to hunt, not study.

"Change always comes with choices. I guess what I don't like about Vlad the most is his refusal to change. He's always been stuck in his ways, the frootloop," Phantom sighs, crossing his legs again.

"One would suppose suppose so. I don't know who he blames for what happened for the accident, but ever since we reunited after a twenty year gap, there's just been something wrong. Like he's using his newfound power and money to plan something terrible," Maddie admits.

"Well, you're certainly not wrong," reveals Phantom, the ghost grimacing again.

"Do you know something, Phantom?" Maddie presses. If the ghost knew anything Vlad might do to her family, even if he would be lying to rule her up, she wants to hear it. She wants to protect her family.

"I was actually at that college reunion, you know. I was following the ecto signature of the Wisconsin Ghost, when I made a pretty shocking discovery..." Danny starts.

"The Wisconsin Ghost. That's the one who overshadowed Jack at the reunion! What a foul specter..." Maddie growls. She's sworn to make that particular ghost pay if she's ever in range of its slimy mug.

"Worst of the worst in my opinion, we're arch enemies for a reason," huffs Phantom, sharing his distaste with Maddie. Despite his nature as a ghost, he's very agreeable.

"What does the Wisconsin Ghost have to do with Vlad?" Maddie urges. There no way... there's no way Vlad would be in association with such a foul specter, right? But... but it makes sense.

His bitterness toward Jack could trigger a ghost that would feed off his horrid emotions, spike them to have more to use of the man, and spur him into an unstoppable insanity. Vlad in turn would have power over a ghost that would do his bidding...

"I guess you could call Plasmius, that's the Wisconsin Ghost, general of the frootloop's army. Vlad calls the shots by using Plasmius, and Plasmius commands other ghosts to do Vlad's bidding." Phantom confirms. His aura flares wildly as his hands shake.

So it's true. Vlad has association with ghosts, an army of ghosts, probably all feeding on his negative output and saying things to continue the cycle of bitter emotions to gain power. She should have known. After twenty years she should have known.

"Is there any... saving him from the ghostly influence that large after this long?" Maddie asks. Could the Vlad she remembers still be in there, trapped by his own emotion? Is there anything left to save?

"I've felt... glimmers," reveals Phantom. "A fading spark somewhere in him. I've been trying to use my positive energy to draw it out, but it's burried so deeply. I'm running out of second chances, and negative reservoirs are exhausting for a ghost like me."

"So you siphon positive energy? Ghosts like that are rare, your kind usually feed on fear or anger..." Maddie muses.

"You'll find I break a lot of rules when it comes to being what I am. It's part if the fun." Phantom's eye glints with humour and amusement, seeming to glow brighter. Can he... can he self generate positive energy?

If he can self-produce his own positive energy, then perhaps it's incorrect to call his emotions a mimicry. If it generates a power he, himself can feed on, it's the real deal. 

It means that Phantom is sincere in his actions and emotions. He truly is listening and agreeing with her. It's amazing to think about.

Already, Maddie feels better. The truth about Vlad is tough to swallow, his own self perpetuating negativity slowly destroying the man he once was, but there is hope.

Phantom, a ghost who powers himself on positive energy, sensed something left in Vlad, a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness a ghostly influence has left on him. Something to fight for.

But, Phantom can't do it alone. No, some way, some how, Maddie will help draw out the Vlad she remembers. The one that liked music with Jack and shared their enthusiasm for science. The one that laughed whenever they hit a dead end and the one that was determined to see things through.

Vlad Masters is a shell of his former self. But, maybe the shell isn't so hollow as Maddie once thought. And despite the darkness, there's at least someone out there willing to see that darkness is still present.

"Thank you, Phantom. It felt good to get my troubles off my chest," Maddie sighs. Who knew the ghost of a teenager would make such good company?

"Just doing my job. And... I'm glad someone agrees with me about Vlad. He's not as nice A guy as his facade makes him to be, is he?" Danny chuckles.

"I suppose it's like what you said. Change always happens, it's who you are after the fact that counts. And today, I think my opinion of you has changed," Maddie admits

Phantom sighs, like a weight had been lifted off him as well. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Just then, a blue mist leaks from his lips, causing the ghost boy to tense. "Well, duty calls. Maybe I'll see you around as a friend next time?"

"That would be lovely. I'd love to have you over for tea for another talk if you're able to consume physical matter." Maddie smiles.

"Set a date and time next time we meet, I'll do my best to make it," Phantom agrees as he begins to fly off. The boy becomes a mere streak in the sky above town not long after.

"I don't know what it is yet, but there's something familiar about you..." Maddie mutters. She watches the streak dart around town, trying to place a finger on it.

"I guess that's a conversation for next time, then."


End file.
